The Sockeye Harvest in Bristol Bay is Approaching 8-Million Fish

Friday’s sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay topped 1-million fish to push the season total to over 7.9-million. The District that’s still out in front in regards to harvest is the Egegik District where fishermen hauled in 400-thousand sockeye on Friday to push the District total to over 2.5-million.

Next up is the Naknek-Kvichak District where fishermen hauled in 365-thousand sockeye on Friday to push the District total to over 2.3-million fish. Fishermen in the Nushagak District hauled in 250-thousand sockeye on Friday to push the District total to over 1.6-million. There was no harvest Friday in the Ugashik District and the total currently stands at 1.4-million. Fishermen in the Togiak District harvested 1-thousand sockeye on Friday to push the season total to 19.3-thousand fish.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that on average there were 742 sockeye per drift delivery on Friday in the Egegik District and the number was 705 in the Naknek-Kvichak District. In the Nushagak District the drifters had on average 377 sockeye per drift delivery and the number was 176 in the Togiak District.

Fish and Game reports that there are currently 1,532 drift permits registered to fish in Bristol Bay as of 9 o’clock this morning. 502 of those permits are in the Naknek-Kvichak District and 375 are in the Egegik District. There are 369 drift permits registered in the Nushagak District and 233 in the Ugashik District. Currently there are 53 drift permits registered in the Togiak District. The bay-wide drift permit total is expected to increase up to 1,665 in 48-hours with 97 of those permits going to the Naknek-Kvichak District. An additional 21-permits will go to the Egegik District and 12 permits will go to the Nushagak District. Just 3 additional drift permits will go to the Ugashik District. As of 9 o’clock this morning there are 1,268 drift vessels registered in Bristol Bay with 419 of those vessels in the Naknek-Kvichak District. 307 vessels are registered in the Nushagak District and 305 in the Egegik District. There are 184 vessels registered in the Ugashik District. Fish and Game reports that in 48-hours the vessel count will increase up to 1,363 with 67 of those additional drift vessel going to the Naknek-Kvichak District. 14 additional vessels will be headed to the Egegik District and 12 will go to the Nushagak District. Just 2 additional vessels will be added to the total in the Ugashik District in 48-hours. Currently there are 264 D-boats registered in Bristol Bay with 83 D-boats in the Naknek-Kvichak District. The count is 70 in the Egegik District and 62 in the Nushagak District. There are currently 49 D-boats operating in the Ugashik District. Fish and Game reports that in 48-hours the D-boat count in the Bay will increase up to 302 with an additional 7 D-boats in the Egegik District. 30 additional D-boats will be going to the Naknek-Kvichak District, while the count in the Nushagak District will remain unchanged at 62. Just 1 additional D-boat will come online in the Ugashik District in 48-hours.

Now looking at escapement. Another 37.1-thousand sockeye were counted in the Ugashik River on Friday to increase the total to 47.8-thousand. Fish and Game is estimating that there are another 125-thousand sockeye in the Ugashik River that have not yet been counted as escapement. Friday was a big escapement day to the Egegik River with 89.5-thousand sockeye counted to increase the total to 514.2-thousand fish. Fish and Game is estimating that there are another 50-thousand sockeye in the Egegik River that have not yet been counted as escapement. Sockeye escapement to the Kvichak River was counted at 71-thousand fish on Friday to increase the total to 262.3-thousand. Fish and Game is estimating that there are another 200-thousand sockeye in the Kvichak River that have not yet been counted as escapement. Friday’s escapement to the Naknek River was 93-thousand sockeye to increase the total to 330.7-thousand fish. Over in the Nushagak District all 3 rivers have met their escapement goals. 44.4-thousand sockeye were counted in the Wood River to increase the total to 765-thousand. Nushagak River escapement was 18.5-thousand fish on Friday to push the total to nearly 659-thousand. 9.3-thousand sockeye were counted to the Igushik River on Friday to push the total to 156.6-thousand. The counting towers on the Togiak River are expected to be up and counting on July 3rd. The total run to Bristol Bay through Friday is just over 11-million sockeye. The daily run summaries can be found on the ADF&G Bristol Bay website and the summaries are also posted at the Fish and Game offices in Dillingham and King Salmon.